Memories
by Yukikaze Luna
Summary: 30 Day OTP Challenge. A collection of One-shots, dedicated to our favourite couple. GaoSuku. Day 9 : Hanging Out With Friends.
1. Day 1 : Holding Hands

**Day: 1**

**Challenge: Holding Hands**

**Pairing: GaoSuku (Gao x Tasuku)**

**Characters: Gao, Tasuku and Drum.**

**Word Count: 986**

**Author: Well, if anyone bother to check my profile status that I updated, then I don't need to explain. Yes, I have a goddamn Writer's block. I have dozens of ideas clouding my mind constantly and can't seem to concentrate on one thing. As stated in the summary, Memories is an OTP Challenge I took up in Deviantart. Sadly, it will be not be updated daily nor follow the normal rules of finishing a prompt each day, which will kill me. Yes, I have been gone for three months and hasn't spoken much except hunting in Wikias and Tumblr. I'm travelling and spending quality time with my family. I can't exactly blame them, because of my exams and writing, I was holed up in my room and been absent around their presence. So because of my guilty conscience, I decided to reduce my time on my laptop to an hour or two a day or never. I don't regret what I have done. You have any other questions, feel free to shoot them to me in PM. And PEOPLE, remember Jackknife Dragon will have screen time in this week's episode (51), watch out for him. Anyway, enjoy.**

**Warning: Un-beta'ed. I don't have a beta reader to help me. Scratch that, I don't even know how does the system works.**

* * *

><p>Tasuku tried to ignore the numb feeling on his shoulder, reminding himself that Gao was only looking out for his safety. But the thought fleeted into his train of thought a couple of times, interrupting an unsuccessful planning that was going on in his brain.<p>

They were flying in the dead of the night. Lights flickered at the corners of his eyes, casting a light sheet of white over his vision. Buildings and skyscrapers stood silently, silhouetted by the darkness from the new moon.

He winced at a hard squeeze on his shoulder when Gao had to manoeuvre them through a maze of structures, momentarily seeing himself reflected off the glass panes, the grimace on his face visible but oblivious to his companion, who was too busy concentrating on his current task. Gao's flying wasn't _that _bad, only a few bumpy rides and sudden jerks if you could describe that as being good. And he had to give into thought that Gao had just received his buddy a few months ago and activated his buddy skill to save both him and his buddy's life—enough prove that he was a true beginner, although he never once lost a match during the course of his life.

"Gao-kun." A pair of golden orbs turned to him—a soundless question. "Can you let go of my shoulder?" Tasuku threw in a forced smile, a trait he learned from one of his instructors during his training.

"What?" Gao was taken back for a second. "No!"

Tasuku shrugged the hand off, only to earn a hard yank from his arm. He gritted his teeth at the stinging pain that shot up his arm. The grip was powerful, almost unbreakable. Almost, if only he had paid close attention to self-defense class. "Gao, let go. You're going to break my arm," he said, dropping his honorifics.

Gao shot him a look. "If I let go, you're going to end up worse than a broken arm."

"I have been flying one-fourth of my life, possibly tenfold more than you. I'm not going to fall." Tasuku gestured to his feet. They planted themselves on the glowing sun. "I can just use your shoulder."

"You nearly fell off!"

"Because you spaced out," he pointed out.

Gao had an irritated look. "Why do you think I'm holding you as tight as possible?"

"Gao," he hissed. "I don't know whether you have noticed this but you have an _iron_ grip. As in, it's _painful_. I'm loosing feeling in my arm and now my shoulder is useless."

The one thing Tasuku hated about himself was that sometimes emotions overwhelmed him to the point of unconsciousness without realization that he had let his perfect mask slipped, exposing the kid figure he was under the adult facade. When the city lights melted into lushly forest green, an expanse of clear liquid greeted him. He checked himself by the lake, the light from Gao's buddy skill reflected back his stressed form, dark icicles beneath hollow eyes, pale face that got paler as they neared their destination. The frustration of the absence of his buddy and free time spent lying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling for hours to come until his suspension was off had him tossing and turning in bed.

It was too much to bear. Everything precious to him—taken away in one night.

He didn't want to admit how useless he was. How it was his turn to stand by the sidelines and let the adults handle the matter. At times he found himself questioning his goal.

The world of adults had rules that required to be followed. Takihara's words did a playback in his head. They were haunting, a whisper that doesn't escape into the wind. No, they were more of a paper stuck to his forehead, forced to be restricted against his will.

He didn't know how much more longer he could take.

It felt like he could snap anytime...

"Hey." Hot fire shot up his arm, not the kind that held pain, but rather the sort of unfamiliar sensation that made his heart race to an unbelievable height. He opened eyes that he didn't recall closing them and craned his neck to meet Gao's intense stare, a worried frown creasing his forehead. "It'll be fine. Everything."

The reality of both of them holding hands dawned on him, that he had never been so close to anyone before. It made him want to pull away and grip tighter at the same time.

He never had time to make a decision, because he was tugged closer, closer to the feel of another body heat pressed to him. He was about to come out with a protest. Such proximity was foreign to him, and he could tell his ears were red. "Gao, wha—"

"Like this," Gao whispered into his ear. He felt the strong grip on his hand tightened, as if Gao was afraid he was going to disappear. "I don't want to ever lose you."

He froze, unable to process the words. Gao's expression wasn't one of the joyful splitting grin he was used to seeing. He held an unexplainable serious determined manner.

Suddenly Tasuku understood the message: _You are not alone. I'm always here._

There was a tingling feel to their intertwined hands. But it wasn't close to uneasiness. It was more than that. Something...that was home. He found himself clutching back desperately. It didn't help matters with their aim—to find Disaster's lair and blast them to bits.

Or the fact that Gao was watching him closely with a confused look. "Tasuku-senpai, your face is red," he all but pointed out.

There was snickering from the background. Tasuku directed his weak glare at Drum, face going redder if possible. "Shut UP."

The last thing he wanted was for the entire population of the Dragon World to know of this mortification.


	2. Day 2 : Cuddling Somewhere

**Day: 2**

**Challenge: Cuddling Somewhere**

**Pairing: GaoSuku (Gao x Tasuku)**

**Characters: Gao, Tasuku and Kuguru.**

**Word Count: 1699**

**Author: Merry Christmas. I managed to finish this in time, like 44 minutes before midnight. I'm tired and am going to turn in. Hope Bushi will spoil more screenshots for us tomorrow. If not, just have to painstakingly wait for the episode. I wish Bushi would update two episodes because I heard episode 52 is delayed and will release a week after its original date.**

**Warning: Un-beta'ed.**

* * *

><p>If there was one thing in the world where Tasuku found the signs of abnormality was that he was actually <em>phoned<em>. It wasn't the phone itself that made him uncomfortable. It was that _someone_ that mattered.

"Ah, this is Ryuenji-san?" The silky voice from the other line was soft, rendering him powerless to focus on other things. There was only one person he knew that possessed both the speech of persuasiveness and affirmation. It was one of Gao's female friend. Namely the girl with the lamps in her hair. The girl with the tablet, Kuguru.

"Yes..." he replied slowly, picturing the girl smiling. "I prefer it if you call me by my first name. Tasuku is just fine." Tasuku padded across his room to draw back the curtains of the sliding doors, leading to a balcony that oversaw the entire city of Choutokyo. "Can I help you with anything?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I'm sorry to disturb you on a late evening, but I honestly need your help with something. Are you familiar with a friend, Kiri-chan?"

Tasuku raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but didn't think much of it.

There wasn't a time where Kiri could distance himself from Gao, like he was holding onto him like a lifeline. He constantly trailed after Gao—a tiny cub needing the guidance of its mother. At times when he went grocery shopping, he could spot Kiri clinging onto Gao or hugging him arm during parties.

Merely thinking about the casual way Gao accepted the other's uncanny openness had Tasuku stepped back, disappearing into the crowd, like he didn't feel the right to ruin the atmosphere. Like he couldn't be part of the same space they breathed. He remembered ducking out of sight as soon as Gao's line of vision zeroed in on his path.

It was stupid. The feelings after they left his radius were hollow and dead, almost embarrassment from interrupting their happiness. There was also rage flooding his senses and the way his throat went completely dry. He didn't know what the feeling was. Was it jealousy? Impossible.

"Yeah." Tasuku hoped she couldn't desciple the meaning behind his voice. "I remember him."

He was about to apologize and hang up, because deep down he didn't want anything to do with him. But that was his own personal feelings intercepting his rational brain. It was _his_ job to make sure other's lives were happy. It was _his_ duty to put other's lives before his. That would mean separating his personal life from his job. No strings attached.

Tasuku would help the boy no matter how much it ate him away in the inside.

"See, Kiri-chan transferred a few days ago to new town," Kuguru said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "He hasn't been keeping contact with us. Until a week later, he delivered a letter that was frozen to Gao-chan's desk." Pin prickles started to rise on Tasuku's nape. Somehow, from the way she described the method of sending a letter, he knew he wasn't going to like hearing what came next. "Gao-chan ran straight to Kiri's new school. I don't know much about the details since Baku-chan and I arrived at the end of the match. By the looks of it, Kiri challenged Gao to a buddyfight to test out his new Core Deck Case. Gao won, by the way."

"Wait, a new Core Deck Case?"

"All I know it was black."

_Dark Core Deck Case. Wolf. Aragami Rouga._ The answers came charging him. It was an opportunity. "You need to go into details in order to report—"

"That isn't important right now!"

The small outburst and the fierce tone that were shouted through the line made him hit his arm at the glass doors. "Sorry?" he startled out.

There was a pause as he listened to Kuguru tried to steady her voice. "You need to come over. It's Gao-chan."

* * *

><p>Tasuku wouldn't have seen him if it wasn't for the dim light spilling from the tiny lamp on the nightstand, pushed against the head of the bed. Gao was dressed in a night shirt, sprawled on top of the bed with his shorts-clad legs dangling over the edges, feet resting on the floor.<p>

"I heard what happened to Kiri-kun."

Gao stiffened, then relaxed a second later. The action was fast, that it took Tasuku squinting to make sure it wasn't his imagination. He stepped into the rectangular patch of light. The door swung shut behind him, clicking in response and drowning the room in semi-darkness. He settled himself on the edge of the bed, just beside one of Gao's outstretched arms, noting the hard expression upon the other's face even though people were supposed to look peaceful when they slept. The torn cap he usually wore was off, allowing the red spikes on the left side to return to its original position.

Tasuku sighed when none of them bothered to break the silence. "This is unlike you," he said, unconsicously scooting closer. "Instead of lazying on bed, shouldn't you be thinking about your next move?"

After a moment of stillness with neither of them filling the space, Gao opened his eyes. They were aglow, filled with gems that lit up under the spotlight—a splash of golden paint that affected Tasuku's heartbeat. It went _thump thump_—stomping footsteps that echoed within his ears, a roll of drums that couldn't stop beating themselves to the point of breaking. Tasuku fisted the sheets underneath his fingers, telling his heart to calm down. His poor, poor cheeks were aflame though. He couldn't bite his bottom lip, drawing out the pain to brush it away, because those set of topazes held him in place.

Tasuku watched as Gao sat upright, holding his gaze. Red and gold collided. He barely had enough time to react before the air was knocked out of his lungs. He was propelled back by the tackle. Back hitting the mattress, Tasuku glanced down at their tangled limbs, his arms trapped in Gao's, a mop of red tresses buried in his gut. "Gao, wait—what are you...?"

Gao mumbled something in his stomach. Ticklish, Tasuku squirmed uncomfortably. "What? I—I can't—hear you."

Gao shook his head, the movement causing Tasuku's shirt to ride up. He shivered at the cold air on his bare skin. He fumbled around for his shirt, trying to pull it back down and struggling against the strong arms.

"Not Kiri..."

Tasuku stopped. The times when Kiri used to initiate hugs with Gao came rushing back to him. He felt it wasn't in his place to take that away. He was ruining everything and confusing the hell out of his one true friend—the friend that thought he was someone he knew but found out he was someone else. But Gao didn't recoil at the awareness. Was he a replacement?

There was a lump in his throat, his bottom lip quivered—disappointment? Why? Why should he feel like this? Why did he feel like he had been rejected when he didn't have feelings for him? Did he?

Tasuku tilted his head back, bangs hiding his eyes that burned from confusion and envy. No matter what, he couldn't reveal any sort of weakness. No matter what, he had to act professional. Like an adult.

What should he say? 'I know' or 'I'm sorry that I'm not him'? Even if he provided an answer, what _then_? Could he shut the pain away without the other's acknowledgement? Either way seemed to be an excuse, a coward that ran from his mistakes—from himself. But didn't he promise himself that he _would_ protect everyone, after throwing away his childhood and memories that had everything to do with his childhood?

He didn't know what to do. Which one was the right answer?

_Is there even a right answer?_

Maybe the red-black haired boy would feel better, pretending the person he was hugging was the one he wanted the most. So Tasuku was silent, the pain throbbing at the back of his mind.

The hands on his back and waist were gone, now on either side of his head, Gao looking down on him with an unreadable air that forbade him to dwell in the mind of his predictable mind. "You're not Kiri."

Despite knowing the answer, the dam broke. Fingers tightened on the sheets, Tasuku focused all the emotions to drained away into his hands.

"That's why," warm, calloused fingers from years of martial arts training grappled for his, gaze not leaving, "I won't make the same mistake. I've been thinking about what happened to Kiri was my fault, that I didn't pay much attention and everyone was worried about me." Gao shut his eyes for a moment, as if he could erase the hurt he was feeling. "I wanted to avoid them, because I know I was the reason they were sad. And I was so sure you would sympathize with me, treat me like a kicked puppy." A huge grin broke from those lips. "Yet you're here, straightforward and blunt as usual. I don't sound like an endanger species in your eyes. Instead, you push me back up and you don't know how surprised I was when you directly went to the point."

Tasuku did. But for a different reason.

"That's why," Gao said again, voice firm. "I won't fail again. I'll bring Kiri back." His face drew closer, and Tasuku listened to the pounding of his heart and stared into eyes that were so bright, the sun would burn brighter each day. "I _will_ protect you," he promised, burrying his head into the crook of Tasuku's neck, face pressed into the pillow that cushioned their heads.

Crimson eyes fluttering shut, Tasuku returned the favour. They were cuddling, wrapped in each other's embrace and yet Tasuku thought he would sinfully have that uneasy feeling of hearing Kiri's name. It might be immature of him, but he was way passed that stage. His mind drifted to the feel of his warmth, of those hands that held him in place under him...

Wait, was he bottoming to a sixth grader...?

Oh hell no!


	3. Day 3 : Gaming

**Day: 3**

**Challenge: Gaming**

**Pairing: GaoSuku (Gao x Tasuku)**

**Characters: Gao and Tasuku.**

**Word Count: 671**

**Author: I have a shout to all who have already watched the latest episode. Right now I'm jealous because it hasn't been released in my place and I see a lot of comments and spoilers saying stuff like the episode was great. Not faaaiiirrrr, I want to watch it. (I know I'm acting like a whining b but I don't care)**

**Warning: Un-beta'ed**

* * *

><p>The sunlight pierced through the cracks of the roof. Gao shifted away from the light, afraid that he would be found. There was a thin layer of debris coating the floor he sat, needle rocks digging into his behind as he leaned on the wall—what was left of it anyway.<p>

There was the light tapping of footsteps before Tasuku appeared around the corner, hair messy, red light outlining the scratched and bruises all over his body. From the little light above, Gao took in the state of him, clothes torn into strips of cloth, hardly enough to be a makeshift armor for his exposed skin. "The area is empty," he reported, taking a seat beside Gao, knees propped up. "I scouted the perimeter. We should be safe." At Gao's raised eyebrows, he added, "Well, for now."

Sighing, Gao went back to poking at his dysfuntional leg. A red line marred the entire length of his leg that he got from being careless, for underestimating the enemy when one was sneakily sneaking up behind him. "Come on," he grumbled under his breath, prodding the unresponsive thigh. "Move, leg."

Tasuku frowned. "Stop doing that. You will only make it worse. We need to find a supply shelter."

"Relax," Gao said easily. "The worst that can happen is if it disappears."

"Don't say that," Tasuku retorted hotly, the edge of a knife slicing the humour Gao tried to come up with.

"It's just a game," he defended himself. "What are you worried for?"

Tasuku opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it before going slack against the rough surface behind him, turning his back to him, earning a disapproving huff from Gao. He didn't understand the other boy besides the seriousness and the tense shoulders Tasuku came with, guard constantly cautious for things to happen. Looking back on their time spent together in tiny minutes that dragged around the clock, he never once saw the other Tasuku, the one that had nothing to do with crime-fighting.

He pictured the other Tasuku, dressed in a simple T-shirt, moving around the house to dust off; in an apron, messing with kitchen utensils and ingredients; in school, uniform on, scribbling down notes; in the park, relaxing on a bench, fingers tapping against the rhythm of the beats ringing in his ear, the white earphones connected to his phone; in the sky, soaring above the clouds with Jack as they performed loops, hovering over high buildings, dancing under the moonlight.

He wondered if the other Tasuku would ever give him a genuine smile that wasn't fake.

"I'll see if anyone is near," Tasuku informed and got onto his knees and crawled forward, head scanning for any intruders as Gao openly gaped at the wonderful treat that was presented to him. Where a waist cape should have hidden the long slender legs and the round bump that he refused to take his eyes off were prefectly shining milky skin. Perverted as he was for one second, but he'd rather be damn for it. There was such thing as a 'once in a lifetime' fact that would never given a free ticket passed before someone seizing the chance.

"No one," was the answer that came with the shift of a body. Tasuku breathed out a sigh before raising his long eyelashes at him, bewilderment etched in those rosy eyes.

Gao felt his throat running dry, palms sweaty and abruptly scrambled to the other side of this makeshift barrier that was keeping them out of sight from any other players that may come across the ruins of a city. "Wow, look at the time, time passes when you're having fun," he chirped. "It must have been an hour already! It's my turn to check."

_I'm an idiot_, he internally groaned.

Gao felt eyes bore into his back, sensing a pair of narrowed eyes watching him carefully. _I am not going to admit that I'm both sexually and mentally attracted to him. Much be hormones._


	4. Day 4 : On A Date

**Day: 4**

**Challenge: On A Date**

**Pairing: GaoSuku (Gao x Tasuku)**

**Characters: Gao, Tasuku and Drum.**

**Word Count: 1557**

**Author: TADA! I'm back! Miss me? Nope? Nevermind. I was supposed to update this on New Year but I wasn't satisfied with the ending and ended up writing a new one. I thought of updating tomorrow because you know the whole delay thing with Bushi, but decided I should be more concerned with you guys too. Some people thought I died. Well, I'm alive. But just to make sure. *puts on helmet and safety pads* I might die though. *hides under bed* Let's just say you guys are going to castrate me after this.**

**Warning: Un-beta'ed.**

* * *

><p>It had been raining when school ended. Floating, unhappy gray clouds shed big, fat tears—showering the land in buckets.<p>

Through a hazy vision, Gao had made his way home after saying goodbye to his friends, running and slipping on wet pavement. Drum had offered to activate his buddy skill, but he denied the request, mumbling something about falling off easily in this weather. Sooner as that was said, the little monster had shrank into card form and slipped into his deck.

"Great, this is going to give Mom another reason to kill me," Gao said dejectedly at his soaking undershirt flapping in the strong gust of wind, his jacket tucked safely in his bag. No point getting another piece of clothing wet if he was planning to spend his entire journey in the pouring torrent.

He decided to use the main road back and crossed the intersection as people in umbrellas and raincoats rushed by. Shortcuts mostly consisted of alleyways, which probably were flooded and heavily scented with the rotten smell of trash and the scuttling of rodents, gnawing at leftovers. The thought made him cringe, avoiding the old road as much as possible.

A bus stop came up, growing larger as he ran faster. It had a roof curving down, two metal poles holding it up. White sheets of papers dotted the advertising board. A metal railing engaged the perimeter, leaving a small opening. Connected to it were benches; old, chinked off ones that carved mishapes into the wood. A shadow waited there.

He jogged sideways, preparing to alter his course to go around it.

_Hey, Gao. Look who it is._ Drum's voice was blown away by the storm, but he heard loud and clearly.

Gao slowed, loud pit pats became soft taps taps. He scanned the place for a familiar face. No one in sight, not even a bus. Except the silhouetted figure, who didn't seem to want to get going on its way. He squinted closely, eyebrows going down, and saw blue.

_Get your ass together, you blockhead! It's him._

There was only one person in the world Drum ever referred someone as _him_. His buddy knew that speaking his name made him get cold feet and walk back the other way. Yes, he was a coward. Laugh all you want! But after coming to terms with his feelings and testing out a few..._experiments_, he would downright admit he actually had affections for Tasuku.

Superb, now his heart was pounding at his insides. Calm down!

Tasuku sat on one of the benches in a white T-shirt, completely see-through from the rain, revealing patches of skin. He had his arms wrapped under his thighs, glancing between the raindrops and the sky. Two sets of plastic bags laid at his feet, all sorts of ingredients ranging from the highest organic protein to vitamin inherited fruits. From the way the boy continued to his feeble stares, worry marred his face, Gao knew he didn't know another person was a few feet away. The troubling part was his heart had kicked up a notch, wondering whether he should announce his presence.

_Oh, this is _gold_. _

"Shut up, Drum." He was relieved that his buddy supported his attraction for Tasuku, but the damn dragon didn't need to laugh at his stupid advances like he was watching comedy instead of a distress teenager trying to get the other to notice him.

_It's funny 'cause you suck at this._

"Now, look here—"

"Gao-kun?" Gao jumped several inches off the ground, missing hitting his leg to the bench by a fraction. He whirled around on his feet, spotting Tasuku's stony stare, and he thought to himself he must be sounding crazy arguing to the air. Tasuku gave a hesitant smile. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Gao answered, scratching his nape as he approached him, deliberately bumping his hips to the railing, earning an indignant shriek from his buddy.

_Don't do that! You _will_ damage my portal!_

"Then shut up if you don't want it to happen again," he hissed under his breath. He could hear Drum sulking in his ears. "Sorry about that. Did I scare you?"

"Didn't see you there. It's fine." A pause deep in his thoughts, then: "How's Drum? You two at it again?"

"Nah," Gao said. "He's doing fine. We're the best of friends."

_Liar._

Gao dropped down on the bench next to Tasuku. Hard. There was a chime when his Core Deck Case rattled violently, shaking the cards inside into a spinning adventure of circles.

_WHAT WAS THAT FOR!? MY EARS!_ Drum wailed.

"That's good to hear," Tasuku said, oblivious to the thrashing and screaming in Gao's mind as Drum launched into a long lecture about being his superior, grumbling about stupid humans with no respect and complaining about having an airhead of a buddy.

"Anyway," Gao said, concentrating on his syllables through the squawking of an annoying bird. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back before this becomes a storm?" He gestured to the rain clouds closing in, turning the sky into a mess of molded lava, lightning travelled across it, breaking off into long fingers.

Tasuku shook his head. "Can't. I left Jack back home. The groceries will get wet on foot. And I don't plan to get sick."

"You are already drenched, you know."

Tasuku shrugged, a few drops of water fell. "Might as well get dry while waiting for the storm to pass." A strong gust of wind swept by, along a light coat of water raining down on them. He brought his feet up and wrapped trembling hands around his knees, curling up into a tight ball.

Gao was concerned. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah," the pale boy breathed out shakily, clutching at his forearms, head halfway buried in his arms. "Just cold. A bit."

Nodding to himself, Gao mustered up the will to inch closer, his arms going around the thin frame of the shivering boy. Tasuku went still. Gao noted how small Tasuku was, despite his usual straight posture and guarded eyes, owning a voice that could make others submit, a convincing adult, spoken of words beyond a normal teenager. Yeah, he liked this Tasuku better. The vulnerable, frailed boy. But he had to remind himself Tasuku was stronger than that, a more capable teen of handling emotions far greater than siren actors.

Gao was dragged out of his thoughts from the prospect of their heat sharing, knees bumped one another. "Is this working?"

Tasuku relaxed, looking at him with a knowing look. "I don't know. You tell me. Does it work?"

No. With them drowned from head to toe and the storm raging, it did little to keep them warm. Still Gao refused to let go.

Their faces were separated by a margin of air, noses barely touching as their eyes locked onto each other. All it took was one move, one craning of the neck to make a kiss. Observing those plump lips, he was tempted to do it.

Absorbed into the feeling, the atmosphere tensing, Gao leaned forward. A hitch of breath came from the other. To his relief, Tasuku didn't pull away, eyes boring into his with a glazed over look. He identified them as lust. His brain was going haywire, the last remaining funtioning brain cells seizured from the knowledge Tasuku also wanted this. The same longing look Gao saw his parents giving each other.

The apprehension excited him further—

A roar of thunder split the sky in a blinding flash. The boys jerked back. They narrowed their eyes at each other, disbelief and disappointment hung in the air as they resolved to only stay close. Closer than expected.

"You know," Gao managed to say, chasing away the ache in his heart to forget about manners and just take him. "This kinda reminds me of one of those drama shows my mom sees."

Tasuku cocked his head to the side, curious at the sudden change of subject. He nodded anyway, to show that he was listening.

Gao faced him with the same look he gave before the lightning interrupted their moment, their three seconds of giving in their inner demons. "This feels like we're on our first stage to hook up," he said, imitating the exact words from one of the dialogues

Confusion showed on his face, Tasuku took some time to process the complicated wordings. Less than a minute later, his eyes snapped into focus, cheeks pinking, wrapping his mind around the fact that Gao had just implied they were out on a _date_. "D—Do you even—know what a date really means?" he startled out, eyes widening at him.

"Yeah. Couples hanging out, holding hands, watch a movie." Gao moved closer, an arm circling his slim waist and hoisting him up into his lap, garnering a small yelp. He laughed at the noise, enjoying how flustered Tasuku was. "Get to know each other." The last one was a suggestive whisper.

Tasuku went tomato red—literally. "This..." He stopped himself, turning to meet him. "I don't kiss on my first date," he stated firmly, trying to sound serious but his voice came out a bit playful.

Gao pressed their foreheads together, grinning foxily. "So you admit this is out first date, hmm?"


	5. Day 5 : Kissing

**Day: 5**

**Challenge: Kissing**

**Pairing: GaoSuku (Gao x Tasuku)**

**Characters: Gao and Tasuku.**

**Word Count: 1041**

**Author: Today was supposed to be a school. Thanks to the floods in West Malaysia, a week it's out for us. But still, shame that it left a lot of people homeless and were forced to evacuate. 2014 is behind us and here comes 2015, and I got the class I wanted! My grades were great! Let's just hope that 2015 isn't another disastrous year with missing planes and earthquakes. I am also here to announce that I am still alive. *sigh* For a moment there, I thought you guys would have kill me for not making them kiss at the last chapter, but there were a few PMs that complained that I just 'had' to interrupt the moment with lightning. Well, readers, here is what you have been looking for. I hope you are satisfied! And where are my manners? This story wouldn't be possible if it wouldn't for those who took their time to review, favourite, follow and read. Thanks to all of your support and wish you a lucky new year!**

**Isabel(Guest): Bingo! Yes, you got it right! All the one-shots from the beginning are somewhat squeezed in the anime. I want it to be as canon as possible. At the end of this story, I will list out the sequence. Good observation there!**

* * *

><p>First kiss is romantic, enticing. You will experience that time had slowed and the world seems to fade away into darkness. It only consists of you and the person you are sharing this feeling with.<p>

It can be mind-blowing too. You feel fireworks exploding behind your closed lids as you kiss and hold each other. Nothing matters but the pleasure of tasting the other travel up your spine.

Most importantly, it will be beautiful. A fitting setting: on top of the hill, basking in the sunset; in the mountains, under a throng of stars; in a park, hands clasped together—frankly, a special place with the right mood.

For Gao...

Well...it was _different_.

It was their final battle. 'The Battle Of The Century', people had gossiped about it. Disaster was on its way to world domination and the adults depended on a group of kids and a card game to save their asses. Very great way of summarizing the situation at hand.

It was at that time where Gao was the Sun Fighter and Tasuku was the Purgatory Knight, two different people with their own rights to fulfil.

Moving forward to the battle, it had been a one-sided conversation between the two, with Gao mainly talking some sense into Tasuku and was rewarded with silence. Gao didn't know what made him snap. It could be the fact that Tasuku was ignoring him like he wasn't there or their lives were down to within the below five zone and he wasn't making any progress with his reasoning _or_ he hated when he saw some kind of connection sprouting between Tasuku and that good-for-nothing smirking bastard who apparently has bat wings/bunny ears/horns for an evil overlord.

He found it hard to believe that he was jealous of an abomination combination of three incomparable things was a living, breathing human being.

And he was drop-dead gorgeous to everyone.

_He better not be a Hercules to Tasuku._

With that thought in mind, he flew forward with his equiped Dragonblade, Drum Sword.

"Cast, Black Dragon Shield!" Tasuku's voice was deep, devoid of emotion as he casted a spell to block his attack.

Gao gritted his teeth, sword clashed with the face of a black dragon. "Kiri was the same," he shouted through the fuss from the crowd in the stadium. Was it his imagination or did he really sea his fist tightened around Fatal? "Do you remember what I said to you back then?"

He retreated back a few steps before lunging forward and slapping that ridiculous helmet off. Long silky strands of sapphire fell in waves behind the back of his armor, framing those feminine features that made up the face he yearned to see. Doe eyes regarded him coolly, two pits of endless oblivion clouded with no speck of life, as if daring Gao to activate his Future Force to assault him.

"It is still your turn," Tasuku stated, a cold glare piercing his soul as he glanced over his shoulder at the monsters on the right and left zone, prepared with their weapons raised, calmly waiting for their master's orders.

Gao glared back, hoping to gain even the tiniest of attention. But nothing was working. Even the mentioned of Jack seemed to _bounce_ off him. He realized with cold distinct that he was only conversing with a puppet, a marionette tied down by strings, deprived of a voice and a mind. Cold gripped his heart. He refused to believe there was nothing else to cut the strings that caged him. Scrambling his brain for an idea, he screamed in frustration, throwing his item card away. Drum Sword hit air and dispersed into particles.

Acting by pure instincts he threw himself forward, barely missing being sliced in half by Fatal as he took Tasuku's face in his hands. _Follow your heart_, his mom had said through the phone when Gao was in total despair after his first defeat.

Tasuku narrowed his eyes at him, unfazed by the mysterious stir in golden pools. "What are you planning to do?"

Not a moment too soon, Gao pressed his lips against the other's and for one amazing image that seemed to be out of a dream, he found those rusted rubies widened, an sharp intake of breath stealing his away. Maybe it was the astonishment and the disbelief that finally crack that mask or the impossible truth that the light was returning the shine to those jewels. The idea drove him crazy, made him a monster he himself never seen in the mirror.

Time did not slow for him. No. It sped up. It was fast.

Proceeding to shove his tongue into that hot cavern, he engulfed him like a mad wolf. Tasuku's protests were his hands trying to push him away, his mouth working for words, and then there were weak hands clutching the front of his shirt and a low, almost whining noise escaped his lips.

Hearing the low moan, Gao didn't stop from there. His hands moved on their own accord, buried into smooth aqua locks, his tongue exploring and tasting the mouth he claimed. It wasn't romance or arousal that led him into _this_—this demon that took over his brain, telling him to do this and do that, forcing him to want more, to go further. It was everything. Desperation, desire, love, frustration. It all swirled in different colours and wouldn't mix no matter how insistent of his brain he was for a result. A final answer to his emotions. And a rainbow did not fit into the equation.

He tasted strawberries, vanilla, green tea and a hint of mint in them. His taste buds reacted in a good way, making the kiss deeper. More eager.

Not even the scoffs from Disaster's members, the hatred radiating from Kyoya, Paruko's nagging voice, the crowd's own music box of noises—disbelief, giggles, claps, gasps—could make this any better.

Gao was positive the kiss was nirvana to him.

The kiss ended with Gao pulling away at arm's length, beaming like an idiot at seeing the confusion and the dazed look crossing Tasuku's expression. He kept his hands on his shoulders.

Gao said the first thing that came into his mind.

"You taste like a girl."


	6. Day 6 : Wearing Eachothers' Clothes

**Day: 6**

**Challenge: Wearing Eachothers' Clothes**

**Pairing: GaoSuku (Gao x Tasuku)**

**Characters: Gao, Tasuku and Suzumi.**

**Word Count: 1964**

**Author: Hi, hi! Ironically, the word count is the password to my iPad. (Whoops, not important information.) Anyway, I enjoy reading the reviews for the last chapter. Luckily, it really was a big hit out of all the chapters and I'm happy about it because it really was my first time writing a kissing scene. I was really worry that I had gone too far with details or the content was too plain. Thanks for your lovely opinions!**

**Siakiba: I'm sorry to inform that my Writer's block for that is going to last longer than expected. Don't cling on your hopes too high but I may try to write the next chapter. But don't worry my adorable puppies! Even as it is still on hold, I won't stop posting stories!**

**Announcement: I have big news to give you guys and the next story (after Memories) depends on you guys actually. I will be putting a poll up in my profile and it is up to your interest to pick the next one. If you want another option, you can review down below and I'll see whether I can try to imagine the plot and I might edit it into the poll. If you are not familiar with some of the poll options, just scroll down my profile and I will explain about each options. The poll will be up by tomorrow or tonight.**

* * *

><p>The water was hot, steam rising from the shower floor where the current hit. Tasuku ducked under. It felt nice, having his mind blurred into ripples, today's event swept away by giant waves. It gave him a peace of mind, knowing that the past week's memories were behind him, but it stayed rampant, knocking his thoughts into insanity.<p>

His Disaster days were over. The world was saved. The threat of Darkness Dragon World faded into history books. Every buddy in Azi Dahaka's own personal battle dimension were returned safely, by the same hands that put them there. It took a lot of explaining (and arguing) before Kiri was forgiven for the mistakes he made. The blame was put on Disaster or the power itself that corrupted players. There were many things said and done, but people were just as obstinate to forget about it. Bad things were best to shut up about.

The world had seen his face under the mask of Purgatory Knight, had seen their hero fallen into Kyoya's hands, had seen the shock that wrecked them heavily. The atmosphere during the fight had been solemn. No one was cheering or cracking jokes. It was serious. Serious 'till silence was their only response as the good and the bad fought.

When Gao opened his mind, Tasuku didn't expect forgiveness to come by easy. More like he didn't want it. He knew what he did was wrong, but deep down, Kyoya's words affected him more than he realized. In the end, he was incredulous to find a warm welcome spreading its arms to him. People accepted him so easily that the guilt dug a large hole into his chest. Maybe that was the reason he broke down, the facade shattering into tiny shards, divulging the thirteen-year-old he was.

Although everything was fine and dandy, Tasuku's case was a special one. No one—literally no one—trusted the same thing wouldn't happen again. They were terrified that he would be taken advantage again right now in his exposed state and it didn't see fit to leave him alone. He had denied the request. It could be he was protecting his honor, but everyone was overreacting. It didn't matter how much they tried to reason with him, he still was stubborn to not admit he was indeed vulnerable. He wasn't given much choice though and was promptly dropped into Gao's care.

He turned the knob off. The shower head coughed out a few more drops before stilling. He stepped out of the shower stall, drying off in a large bleach towel. He threw on the neatly folded pile of clothes by the countertop. Testing his arms as they stretched up, his fingers refreshed from the bath, he was displeased to see his shirt hugged him a lot less than before. Weird, he remembered getting the proper size. _Did I lose weight?_ Shrugging to himself, he shuffled out and immediately stopped dead in his tracks.

Gao's naked back was to him. Naked. _Naked._

His throat went dry. _God, not now!_ Out of decency, he padded to the futon that was laid out beside the bed, pillows fluffed and blankets thick. He sat on the peach duvet, smoothing his hands over the sharp designs of branches and leaves. The soft material whistled under his touch. It reminded him of home.

During nights where the memories plagued him with nightmares, he would stumble out of bed, mind whirling, dry tears staining his cheeks and snuggle into the comfort of Jack. There were days he skipped school for missions, leading to his classmates coming over to his place to pass on homework from the teacher. Sometimes he was already awake, having gotten an early start at turning in the night before. But there were times his unconciousness begged for more sleep and they walked in on him, hidden underneath the wings that acted as a blanket for him under the cold mist from the air-conditioner. They had wondered how could he sleep with all the armor pressing on him. 'Isn't it uncomfortable sleeping on hard armor?', 'Won't you get cold in the middle of the night?', 'How can you even sleep like that?'. They never asked, trusting he had a reason that was none of their business.

There was the rustling of fabric as Gao put on his shirt. How long did that take? Minutes? Hours? He couldn't tell. Without the foam from the boiling water, his mind was free to roam through his pleasant memories. He wanted to forget what happened. He wanted to jump into a hole and rot away peacefully. He wanted nothing to do with the past week. Nothing. Nothing but scars to remind him of his mistakes.

_Adults do not forget their mistakes. They shoulder it bravely and march on with pride._

But was there any meaning being an adult if children were given a voice?

_Children forget the past and move forward to the future. Kids like me._

Was he a kid? After everything he went through—his lost childhood, the sacrifice of a perfect normal teenage life. Could he consider that as a breaking point for his justice? Should he drop whatever he was doing for a tiny break? Should he be a kid again?

_Can I be a kid?_

What? Why? How? When?

_What am I supposed to do from now on?_

Questions scratched at his throat.

_Is there even any purpose for me being here?_

There was always a goal in life. Tasuku _had_ one. To become an adult. So he could defend the children. It was fulfilled. Kids had their own voice, their own opinions considered. The adults finally realized kids could protect themselves without being cast away by ignorance and provoking another 'Disaster Situation'.

He was done.

His goals achieved.

So...

_Why am I still doing here?_

"Stop that."

Tasuku snapped out of his musings. "What?" he asked Gao, who was reclining on the edge of his bed. This time with a shirt.

"That," Gao said. "Your face gets that faraway look. You space out too much these days."

"No, I don't," he defended himself.

"Really?" Gao bent forward, eyes glimming cheekily. "Then don't pout."

"I don't pout," he murmured, immobile, eyes straying away from those eyes. They trailed down his well-defined jaw, into slightly parted lips. A tongue darted out to lick dry lips, and he followed the act with his scrutinizing gaze. Blood bellowing in his ears, he inched closer, cheeks warming from the memory of being kissed harshly. It couldn't have been a day that his first kiss was stolen. It couldn't. You couldn't kiss someone so passionately for the first time like you've been practicing for years. You just can't.

"See, you're at it again," Gao said. "Stop that."

"I'm not—" His protest was cut off by a pair of lips. He surrendered to the tongue that prodded his mouth, eyelids falling shut. A strong arm snaked around his waist, pressing him to adjoining hips. His own hands went around Gao, fingers crawling at his clothed back.

When it came to kissing, Tasuku was clueless. He was a beginner as much as Gao. He never held strong feelings for anyone—not his school mates, not the adoring fans, not even celebrities that chased after him—that could turn his limbs mushy. He could never comprehend why his muscles were a dead weight, why his fingernails were digging into Gao's back, why his brain demanded more, why his heart beat faster than a racing car, why there was electricity shooting through his nerves.

_I don't want to stop._

It was wrong.

Tasuku mustered enough energy to break the kiss. It led them both breathless and panting, holding each other close. The loud blaring from the air-conditioner did nothing to cool down the heat swimming in his stomach, the knots tangling faster.

"What's wrong?" Gao breathed into his mouth, sending shivers into his frizzled nerves.

"As much"—he took a large gulp of air—"as I want this, we are not alone, you idiot."

Gao made a face.

Tasuku chuckled. "Don't pout."

"I'm not pouting," Gao said, forcing a crooked smile. Then it split into a large genuine grin. "Didn't think you had the will to stop this. Thought I needed to pull away with your claws clinging onto my back. Who knew you were such a puppy."

"Don't get cocky."

Gao shrugged. "One loss isn't going to make me any less confident."

Rolling his eyes, Tasuku palmed the boy's face and pushed him away. He stood up and went over to the light switch by the door. His hand paused over the switch, head turning back to stare at Gao busied rearranging his night stand, waist deep under the covers.

_It's not that it's wrong, it's just that I'm not ready for more._

Gao looked up and met his eyes. "Can't resist me?"

"We are _not_ having this conversation!"

Tasuku huffed, his red face consumed into darkness.

* * *

><p>"Come on! You'll be fine!"<p>

Tasuku ignored Gao's attempt of urging him another step down. He glued himself to the staircase, refusing to meet his demands. When the shouts of encouragement and whines got too irritating to his ears, one long glare was all it took to shut him up. He guiltily felt the pride in his chest. Under Kyoya's reign, he had learned a few tricks or two in subduing others with a single flicker of gaze. It was like a counter spell against Davide's sneers and Shidou's not-so-sniping remarks.

"Geez, that was rude," Gao said, exasperated. "I hate it when you do that. It reminds me too much of—you know." Scowling, he turned into the living room.

_That's new,_ Tasuku mused silently. _He's jealous._

As if able to read his thoughts, a shout came: "I'm not jealous!"

Shaking his head, Tasuku jumped down the last few steps. He slipped into a pair of oversized house slippers, unable to break his habit. He had always been a clean freak. He even disliked the small corner of his dresser at home where dust gathered within a day. Threading softly after Gao, he wasn't at all surprised to see Mikado Suzumi having a small argument with her son. He realized—with amusement—that the shout had been directed to his own mother who might have listened in on their earlier discussion.

He remained at the doorway, his thoughts wandering to his previous chatter over the phone. He heard stories of Gao's mom, mostly consisted of throwing him through the dojo sliding door when he was late once, doubling his training menu ruthlessly and the insistence of taking after the image of an instructor earnestly.

Who wouldn't be nervous after hearing all about that?

"So this is the boy you've been fretting about," Suzumi hummed, her thumb and index finger cupping her chin, cerulean orbs widened a second upon glancing down his face. Her lips curled upwards. "Is he good?"

The sudden enquiry blocked out his quirking heart. "Who?"

Suzumi blinked. "My son, of course."

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Gao asked, peeping at their befuddled expressions.

"Didn't you do it?" At Tasuku's raised eyebrow, she gestured below his head.

Tasuku craned his neck, peering blandly at his stomach, concealed under his night T-shirt, a circle wrapped in traingles extended over the front. What was so special to have caught her attention? Then it finally hit him.

There was no sun design on the shirt he grabbed from his home.

"Oh no," Gao gasped, pale face gaping at his own shirt that was missing his trademark symbol. "Mom, this isn't what you think!"

"I said," Suzumi continued casually, oblivious to their frantic display. "Is my son good in bed?"


	7. Day 7 : Cosplaying

**Day: 7**

**Challenge: Cosplaying**

**Pairing: GaoSuku (Gao x Tasuku)**

**Characters: Gao and Tasuku.**

**Word Count: 494**

**Author: I'm sorry it's so short for a late update. I'm just so stressed out right now with school and tuition, my timetable is messed up. I don't have a shred of sanity left in me. And I think I died two days ago. Really! Bushi had to kill me after a torture week of school, wow, thank you very much for the despair! *gloomy* What's worse was the preview and the suspense/waiting! Tasuku was on the floor! FLOOR! KYOYA WTF!? HOW DARE YOU! You can NOT break our baby. To all the GaoSuku and Tasuku fans out there, I shall lead the army to a bloodbath war. *takes pitchfork* Kyoya! YOU SHALL PAY!**

**Poll: At least I'm happy that you guys voted and flabbergasted as well because—you are going to learn why at the end of this story. Yes, no matter what, I will continue. (I hate homework!)**

* * *

><p>They batted their eyes, each noting the character the other was cosplaying.<p>

"Your mom," Tasuku answered quietly the same time Gao said: "My dad."

Their unasked questions answered, the room dissolved into silence.

One morning found the boys awoken by mysteriously hands snatching them apart. Gao had been paranoid and sent a fist flying to his captor, his heart jumping to the conclusion that Disaster was back, having attacked them when they were sleeping and were headed to another fancy lair built by the Gaen Financial Group. His fist was stopped, Takashi's face appearing in front of him with an apologic smile. "Your mother's orders."

He had been caught off guard by the comment. He didn't object when he was handed a shopping bag, filled to the brim with dark clothes he just had to grimach. Jesus, there was too much black!

After the change and some pampering with the hair, they had found each other in the same conditon: different clothes, hair styled slightly different and a lot of mystified stares.

They settled for reviewing each other.

Gao sported a black trench-coat over a dark V-necked shirt, gray lining ran down his sleeves. An equally inky-coloured belt with a large silver buckle held up the loose pants, the ends framed by silver-plated boots. A strap that went around his shoulders held onto the dual blades, fashioned by plastic and hard cardboard. A pair of coal-black fingerless gloves hugged his hands. Lastly, his bangs were parted widely, held down by a formidable gel. The back of his hair were spikier.

"You look good," Tasuku commented, discreetly hiding the warm tinting his cheeks. He would never admit it, but Gao was a badass in black. The polar opposite perfect guy he could not portray any better in his mind. "I never pegged you for a fan of black."

Tasuku wore the standard Knights Of The Blood Oath's uniform, fashioned in red and white. A white sleeveless tight-fit turtleneck reached to his waist, an extension cape hovered just below his knees. Long sleeves and tights hugged the length of his arms and legs, leaving the upper area bare, except for the mini skirt billowing under the ceiling fan. A cross marked the top of his boots, his rapier hooked to a strap circling his waist. His side bangs were braided and tied to the back, the undisturbed tresses falling past his knees.

"Thanks?" Gao's answer was timid. He was sure his eyes were locked on the piece of flesh that was between the skirt and the tights.

_What do you do when the person you're attracted to crossdresses in a mini skirt?_

He swallowed thickly, clearing his throat. "Um, nice skirt."

"Really?" Tasuku said sarcastically, tugging at the hem of the said material.

"Hey, try to see it at my point," Gao said defensively. "You wouldn't complain."

Tasuku arched an eyebrow. "Did you just openly admitted that you are a pervert?"


	8. Day 8 : Shopping

**Day: 8**

**Challenge: Shopping**

**Pairing: GaoSuku (Gao x Tasuku)**

**Characters: Gao, Tasuku, Noboru, Kazane, Jin, Commander I, Stella, Takihara, Kakumo, Raito, Yamigitsune, El Quixote, Rocinante and Bladewing Phoenix.**

**Word Count: 1985**

**Author: Late update again, I know. The only day I don't have tuition is Sunday. Bummer. Less time to write. Since the second week of school, homework has been piling my room and there were days I didn't even touch my laptop. I can't wait the holidays. Okay, skipping the excuses, let's talk about the last few episodes going on. I had like half an hour to check tumblr and wikia, and honestly I don't know what to say anymore. There were a lot of comments saying that what Tasuku did was stupid or unreasonable. Well, that's the cons of watching the english dub. If you watch the Japanese dub, what he says completely makes sense.**

**Besides, people keep accusing him of throwing Jack away so easily. Well, to you all who hates him now, he knows the art of sacrificing on his part and used Goldritter and he knew that he couldn't win (heck, man, you guys need to understand his knew he would lose and his justice was still intact after winning). The reason why he didn't drop Demios and march over to Gao? Easy. Jack is his biggest weakness because if Tasuku resort back to Dragon World, he wouldn't ever dare to put Jack through the process again. Purgatory Knights doesn't share much of a bond with him, and he knows the units are willing to do it, because it's their playstyle. At the same time, he is protecting Jack.**

**If you still bare a grudge on him, try putting yourself in his shoes. :( I don't like it when fans bash about their favourite characters just because the story or the character's action doesn't go the way the fans like. Poeple can change and easily swayed by temptation. Don't think you are not one of them. Hell, I would have went along with Kyoya willingly since he has a way of manipulating words.**

**And for those who argue why Tasuku didn't see Shido's father was standing beside Kyoya. Well, the point is you are still asleep of the fact that we are the ones with a third point of view. Shido's dad is only standing there because it's his job to ensure harm doesn't come at Kyoya's sorry ass and oversee the tournament. What's more, Takihara kept Tasuku in the dark about their rebellion against Disaster. That's why Tasuku thinks no one is objecting to their corrupt ways and characters (like Zanya and Akatsuki) keeps throwing the harsh truth in his face.**

**And we have to remember that Bushi is the one who plan the plot, so there is no such thing as a fairytale route all the way. If it was, Gao would be kicking ass and sweeping Tasuku off his feet in a few episodes. So I'm happy that there is a bit of dark inside and a lot of character development with characters going through different situations.**

**Warning: As always, un-beta'ed.**

* * *

><p>"This is the first I have seen her like this," Kazane mused, swinging her legs back and forth. Her buddy hooted in agreement.<p>

Tasuku ignored the comment, choosing to prioritize his needs. He ran his hand through his hair, desperately taming out any wayward bangs before a puffy hat was shove onto his head. It was one of those hats that Stella wore. She found that it suited him and brought a spare pair to work with her, prepared for an occasion like this. He didn't know whether to thank her or steer clear of her right now.

"Do you have everything? Your phone? I made sure all the necessary contacts were in there. Mine, Takihara-san, Commander I, fire department, hospital, police—oh, silly me, we are the police. Your...your hat! Come here." She adjusted his hat, gently smoothed out the wrinkles on his yellow long-sleeved tee and straightened his short pants (which was incredibly embarrassing considering she did it unabashedly in front of the others). "Let's see, what else? Ah, yes! Hold on a minute!" She trotted out the room, gasps of disbelief followed her back as employees moved out of the way.

Takihara was one of them. He was scratching his head by the time Stella's heavy footsteps were long gone. "What's going on here? Is it an emergency?" The last question was directed to Commander I, perched on his spot, accessing the situation curiously. He was just as buffled by her actions as them.

"Long story short, little Miss Genius here got asked out on a date," Jin said, nodding to Tasuku with his trademark smirk.

Tasuku glared heatedly.

"A d—da—date?" Takihara choked at the words, face growing pale. "Who? Do I know him?"

"It's none other than Mister Sun Fighter over there!" Jin pressed a button on the controls; a hologram popped out, Gao fidgeting nervously outside of headquarters, self-consciously doing the same thing as Tasuku, trying to impress one and another.

Takihara noted—uneasily—at the small blush on Tasuku's face. Gao had abandoned the common sun-designed shirt for a short-sleeved black tee. The bandages were gone, baring slightly tanned arms. Legs, clad in jeans outlined the muscles beneath his skin. His hat wasn't present, freeing the unkempt mop of hair. "Jin, _shut up_."

Jin chuckled to himself. "Wait, is that a stain I see?"

"Jin, stop teasing him," Megumi cut in, crossing her arms.

Oblivious to the small joke, Tasuku secretly checked for the spoken problem. It didn't go unnoticed by ten pairs of eyes.

"Dammit, _relax_," Noboru groaned. "There's no point complaining in his part. In fact, we probably have to call the ambulance for blood transfusion. _Major_ nosebleed. Surely that's a good sign, right?"

Tasuku bit his lip. Noboru wasn't one for appraising other than himself, so the compliment served to darken his cheeks.

Raita nudged Noboru with an arm. "My man, can you do me a favor of repeating that? My ears seemed to catch the wrong _signals_," he said slyly. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but did or did you not just hit on Gao's _girlfriend_? Based on the rules of the third-wheel handbook, it matches the description for—_let's say_—flirting?"

"_Girlfriend_?" Tasuku sputtered.

"FLIRTING?" Noboru roared in outrage.

Raito laughed and dodged Noboru's tiger claws. They played cat and mouse throughout the time Stella returned with a messenger bag, Kakumo wiggling his way between his two best friends before Noboru could cause any damage.

"Noboru-kun, calm down," Kakumo whined, holding Noboru back by the shoulders.

"I'll calm down once I wipe that smirk off his face!"

Stella draped the bag strap over Tasuku's shoulder. "First aid, antibiotic, protein, vitamin, mosquito repeller, moisturizing cream..." She mentally mumbled, ticking off the list of things in the bag. "I think everything's in unless you want me to perform a re-check, which is advisable."

Tasuku danced out of the way. "I'm fine. I'll call immediately if something happens."

"Make sure you do, young man. Don't try to be a hero—"

Her sentence was interrupted by another presence. Gao stood with his hands in his pockets. An impatient scowl on his face as he scanned the faces for a certain someone. "Still not ready?" He tried to sound casual, but the waiting had made him grumpy. Eyes settling on Tasuku, his frown disappeared into a sheepish smile. "Sorry. Am I too early?"

"No," Tasuku returned the same sheepish smile. "You're just on time."

"Great!" Gao strode forward in large strides and took his wrist, dragging him to the exit. "Now if you will excuse us, we have shopping to do and a date to catch."

Untroubled by Gao's opened confession unlike everyone else, Noboru listened in on Jin's whispers to his buddy, intrigued on what he was being secretive about. Forgetting about it, he shot one resented glare toward Raita before turning to his own buddy. El Quixote was in his human form, a cane resting in his hand. There was a smile on his face that Noboru found creepy and weird as he backed away, gaze tilting down to Rocinante, tail wagging, tongue lolling. "What are you smiling for?"

"Ah, young love, so restless these days," El Quixote sighed fondly. Rocinante barked to show his support.

Noboru's eye twitched. "You sound like my grandpa."

* * *

><p>"Am I missing something here or was I left out?" Gao threw a glance over his shoulder, making out the small cylindrical form of the Buddy Police Headquarters.<p>

"They are taking over my shift for me," Tasuku informed, smiling guiltily. He wasn't one to skip work for trivial matters as dates or breaks. He was known for his punctual progress and honest fidelity, an attitude that people failed to stop pointing out. But the way Gao had approached the other day, ranting about how they were already engaged in brazen touches, exchanged a couple of kisses, and confirming their attraction toward each other, it was time to do what anyone in this relationship would: start off with dating.

"Hey, be serious." Tasuku dug his elbow into his ribs. Gao jolted in his spot, spinning back bemusedly. "We're on a date. Concentrate."

The bemused look morphed into a grin, his head thrown back as laughter flew out from his trachea. Tasuku grunted to himself, walking five steps ahead. It was humiliating enough he was looking forward to this, and apparently his heart agreed that Gao shouldn't be looking anywhere else but him.

Tasuku nearly jumped out of his skin when an arm snaked around his lithe waist, fingers playing with the hem of his shorts. Shudders travelled up his spine, sending his brain into overdrive. The only salvation he had to not swoon was the breeze, restraining the fire from growing wild. Dates didn't last for a minute before one ditched the other unintentionally through complexed sensations.

"Technically, the date hasn't started yet. I did say shopping is to come first." Breath ghosted over his ear, wonderfully throwing coals to the fire as it spiked and pinced at his skin. Tasuku wondered how the dense, loving idiot could be so intimidating when the time asked for it. It was a biased trickery, and he hated the submissiveness that took over under the red-black haired boy's demands. It was infuriating. He was older. A year gap to compare their experiences in life, yet why did it seem like Gao was born a day earlier than him—Goddamnit, it was so distracting!

"Just what are you doing," Tasuku retorted, grabbing the hand that was preying on his hips. He bent the wrist into an odd angle, garnering a yelp from his partner who pried away, holding the sore hand away. He answered the cold glare delivered his way with his own smugness. "We're _shopping_, remember?"

"Yeah, I know." Gao gave him his own version of a sour look. "That doesn't mean the date is not after this."

"On the contrary, shopping doesn't have anything to do with this. Until we're done running errands for your mom, _this_ is off limits." He rested his hands on his hips, one hip dipping, then did Gao savour very much of the line of glistening sweat tracking down very fine, delicious legs. "So you can keep your hands to yourself during the period of time, and I'm sure I can perfectly trust you with that, right?"

"It's going to kill me."

Tasuku patted his cheek affectionately. "Don't worry. You'll live through it. Now, where are we headed?"

Gao sighed. "Pharmacy."

* * *

><p>Team Destiny spent the morning fooling around in the main control room. Stella had stepped out to finish a report. Takihara went through the security cameras throughout the districts. Commander I was busying himself reading through reports from his informants.<p>

"Sheesh, if nothing is going to happen, what's the point of taking over his shift?" Noboru grunted when he was forced to hand over a right card, giving Raito the win to their Go-Fish game (an american card game Stella thought them out of pity at their sheer boredom).

Kakumo flicked the Ace of Hearts to the heap of cards. "We did promise. No point bailing out when he needs a serious break. It has only been a month since everything starts to crumble around him."

Kazane nodded. "It must be hard. Losing his family at such a young age and left stranded alone in the mountains for three days. I wonder how does he put up a strong front. Anyone would have given up in life."

"Heck, the guy's strong," Raito said, winking. "He still has that title written all over his face. I think anyone would think twice before messing with someone like him. Name one guy who would even consider it."

"Aragami-senpai?" Kakumo suggested.

"Nah. That puppy follows batman."

"Well, the only one I can think of is..." Kazane's sentence trailed off as they turned to Yamigitsune manifesting out of the shadows. The buddy spoke to Jin with eye-contact, the boy himself smirking in response. "That smirk doesn't look promising."

Noboru sighed. "Looks like the world doesn't ever give them a break," he mumbled, then: "Okay, what the hell did you do this time?"

Jin feigned innocence. "What makes you so sure I'm up to something?"

"You're always up to something," Kazane said, exasperated. "I hope you didn't go and ruin their date or all this"—she swept her hand around—"would be for nothing."

"Point taken." He fished out a long list. "Relax. No harm done. Gave them a gift to start off, that's all."

"Gave them a gift to start off my ass! Give me that!" Noboru snatched the paper out of his hands.

"What it says?" Kazane asked, sliding beside him to look for herself. "It's a list of vitamins and medicines. What is this doing with him?"

Jin tsked. "It's not about why, it's about who it was belonged to."

"Incoming call!" Stella stormed into the room. "It's Tasuku-kun. Put him on screen!" The officer at the controls complied. The security cameras spun into a single image of Tasuku. "What happened?"

There was nothing wrong with him, except the small flush on his cheeks and the awkward way he licked his lips, unable to answer. He scratched his chin warily, eyes darting to his side before returning. "I don't know how should I put this..." Chewing his lip, he angled the screen to an extremely enraged Gao, who upon seeing Jin, pointed a finger at him.

"JIN!"

"Me," Jin declared proudly, gesturing for the officer to zoom in on the piece of paper beside a folded packaging on the countertop, the clerk in the background scurrying away, covering her reddened face. The pixels began to clear and messily handwritten words took up the screen:

_Lubrication  
>Condoms<em>


	9. Day 9 : Hanging Out With Friends

**Day: 9**

**Challenge: Hanging Out With Friends**

**Pairing: GaoSuku (Gao x Tasuku), Minor (Baku x Kuguru)**

**Characters: Gao, Tasuku, Baku, Kuguru, Noboru and Jin.**

**Word Count: 510**

**Author: I shall happily announce that _Lost and Found_ is finally out and in the making! The poll was really one-sided, so I decided to stop further delays. Oh and Happy Chinese New Year to everyone and may the year of the goat bless our hearts with more Future Card Buddyfight episodes and moe moments from Tasuku (just saying if Bushi ever explain what happened during The Disaster :P) I don't know about me, but I have a very peculiar hunch that one particular season (whether is 2, 3, 4 or so on) will be dedicated solely on Tasuku and his past (and maybe a childhood friend who appears out of nowhere?) Gao is so going into jealous-rage mode *fingers crossed***

**Next update: **_Chapter 2 Steadfast_** of Lost and Found.**

**Warning: Un-beta'ed.**

* * *

><p>Dating soon became a fetish to him.<p>

Because he got to spend more time with the person he loved. And Tasuku didn't disagree on his statement.

So when Tasuku cancelled their date to the carnival that weekend, Gao feared for the worst.

"Are you breaking up with me?"

Tasuku stopped making breakfast, spun around in his apron, blinking bemusedly at Gao's slumped form on the dining table. Upon seeing dark clouds raging above a torn cap, Tasuku felt the worried bubble bumping against his heart, urshering him to leave in the middle of preparing the pancakes his boyfriend loved. Utensils forgotten on the counter, he padded to the dining table, took a seat across him. He placed a hand on Gao's, noting the way their hands had a mind of themselves to join together. He adored how their movements came naturally, like it wasn't awkward or outright unfamiliar to them anymore.

"What made you come to that conclusion?"

Gao popped his head out from his arm, cheeks chubby from the frown. "You cancelled our date."

"Hold on, you think I'm breaking up with you just because I cancelled our date?" Gao buried his head in his arm and groaned. Tasuku, on the other, burst into fitful giggles, taking his hand back to hold his aching stomach, feeling all flowery and touched that he was given the fullest attention, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's that bad, isn't it?" Gao mentally cringed to himself, dropping his head onto the table. "Ow."

Tasuku shook his head. "No. It's adorable to see you like this. You kinda makes a guy feel woozy without so much as an effort."

Gao raised his head, grinning. "Don't you mean a girl?"

Tasuku rolled his eyes. "Don't push your luck."

"Just saying. So, what's the occasion then?"

"Gao, it shouldn't even be my place to say this. You should know what's wrong," Tasuku chided, sighing when he received an empty look. "It's time we do normal stuff. You know, friends?"

"So you _are_ breaking up with me?"

Tasuku dropped his head into his hands.

* * *

><p>A lot of explaining later; Gao being the clueless idiot and Tasuku being patient. They were in the carnival, tailing the gang from behind. The night went by fast, switching from a live show to game stalls. At one point, as they head for the exit, they found themselves on a boat ride, tunneling into the darkness. They exchanged knowing looks and smiles, silently agreeing.<p>

Yeah, hanging out with friends was the best.

"Was this for the best?" Baku asked, munching on a roll of takoyaki. "They're going to miss out on the food."

"Baku-chan, that doesn't apply to anyone except you," Kuguru said softly, too focused on their clasped hands.

"What is this, a love-fest?" Noboru continued to drain his drink.

"Ah, there they go," Jin said, peering into the tunnel where Gao and Tasuku had disappeared. "Hope they don't screw like rabbits."

Noboru choked on his drink.


End file.
